Gillian Anderson by Kim Knott for Masterpiece/PBS
Didn't your mama tell you never to mess with Masterpiece fans? The discussion boards on the new website for PBS' recently overhauled Masterpiece Theatre series are aflame with controversy — and it's all about the Masterpiece theme song. The iconic trumpet fanfare — originally composed for the court of Louis XV by Jean-Joseph Mouret — that has introduced Masterpiece for some 35 years has now been replaced by a tinny, synthetic-sounding something or other composed by an outfit called Man Made Music. And old-guard PBS fans have their bloomers in a bunch about it.
The new music is part of PBS' plan to revamp its oldest program by updating the look and feel of Masterpiece's introductory segments, replacing the host with Bleak House star Gillian Anderson, and splitting the season into three separately themed sections — Masterpiece Classic in the spring, Masterpiece Mystery! in the summer and Masterpiece Contemporary in the fall. The "prime suspect" behind all this is PBS' marketing department, which, presumably, is trying to attract the attention of the marketing world's prom queen (the 18-34 demo) and in so doing has betrayed its frumpy old Honor Society geek roots. For shame, PBS, for shame.
Compare clips of the new and old Masterpiece themes, and sound off on what you think!
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